Locking device for steering-wheels



W. W. WINCHESTER LOCKING DEVICE FOR STEERING WHEELS,

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8 I919.

Pamnted Sept.

osrict;

LQGKI'NG DEVICE FOR STEERING'TUH'EELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

"4 .L on her al application filed February 9, 1919. Serial llii'e. 275, l58.

tion is in the nature of an attachment for the steering wheel of any oi various kinds of vehicles in COHDOCtlOIl with which it is de sir-able to disconnect the wheel from its post for preventing the functioning or" the wheel, thereby putting the vehicle out of commission. The deviceis essentially adapted for protecting automobiles against theft.

it is my object to combine in the device oi: my invention the elements of simplicity, safety and facility of operation. In this connection 1t 15 my purpose to provide a construction in which the wheel, is secured to the steering post by a inspirally-controlled bolt the engaging and disengaging position of which is apparent to the operatorwithout the necessity of trying the wheel; to pro vide a construction in which the bolt which secures the wheel to the steering post is maintained positively in an engaging or dis engaging position by means of a latch; to provide a construction in which the latch controlling the bolt is itself controlled by a lock and such lock of the standard pin type; to provide a construction in which the latch controlling the bolt is maintained. in an engaging or disengaging position by the lock; but in which the hey controlling the loclr can only be the lock withdrawn -from the keyway when has been turned to a position w it maintains the latch an engaging rosition, and to provide a col traction in which the l)OlL when occupying a disengaging position may lock-- assume an engaging posit-ion ing the steering wheel to the post simply by movement in turning the key with a re erse the lot i, all of which ObJGCtS are especially for purposes of safety and facility of operation as will later be explained.

My invention can best be understood by reference to the dra\vings,'in whichl glil'l. l is a plan of a. steering wheel itted with an attachment like that coinprising,- my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section showing certain of the operating parts and of which the bolt, later to be referred to, is shown in a disengaging position.

Fig. 3 is substantially the same as Fig. 2 excepting that the bolt is shown in an engaging position.

Fig. is 2 section. on line l-4iof Fig. 3.

Fig. is a section of the lock comprising: a part of the operating mechanism. J

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-43 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings:-

1' represents the steeringwheel having a hub 52. 3 represents the steering post. Lining the hub oi the wheel and loose to turn thereon is a bushing l. This bushing is fixed securely to the post by splines as shown. The bashing is provided at one end with a flange 5 which overlaps the hub of the wheel, and at its other end with a sep-.

arate flange or ring 6, which overlaps both the bushing: and the hub of the wheel and is secured to the bushing; by rivets? after the bushr has been laced in the wheel. Thus arranged dly secured to mg-5 pr 'heel is free to 'Hii'l the l r" vely to the post. llo o i heel and bushing is prevented and toe wheel fixed to the steering post by means of bolt 8.

It will be observed that the hub 2 of the wheel is cast with an enlargement 9 which is bored to provide a radial seat or casing 10 within which the be. t is socketed to lide. in line with the socket 10 in the hub is a socket ii in the ing which the head of the bolt enters when the two sachets are in thron 5h i post when the no; the post.

"operative simply ".L s. or bolt Horn he "free by a :rnanual opwheei c n funct o-n The wl by the withdrawal bushing. This is e erati'on for which purpose the bolt is provided with stem 12 whit; extends fro A the outer end of the bolt through a cap 13 which closes the outer end of the socket 10. The outer end of the is provided with a thumb piece or head i l by which the bolt ,may be moved. The bolt maintained iii a normal projected or engaging position with the bushing by means stem outside the socket til) ary bolt or of a spring .10 Wrapped around the stem of the bolt and interposed between the outer end of the bolt and the cap which closes the outer end. of the socket 10.

For the purpose of holding the bolt in either an engaging or disenga ing position with relation to the socket there is provided a latch 16. This latch consists of an auxilirod arranged transversely to the bolt within a socket 1'7 formed largeinent 9 of the hub of the wheel and movable within its socket to occupy an engaging or disengaging position with relation to'the bolt. lVhen occupying its engaging position the forward end of the latch will enter one or the other of two annular grooves 18 and 19, respectively, in the bolt. The latch will enter the groove 18 when the bolt is occupying retracted or isengaging position with relation to the ushing and wi enter the groove 19 when the bolt is occupying its projected or engaging position with the bushing, in either case the latch functioning to maintain the bolt in the position, either engaging or disengagto which it has been moved.

The latch 16 is controlled in the following manner: I

owned in the extension alongside the latch 16 is a socket or opening 20. In this socket is seated a pin lock of standard type and of which 22 represents the case of the lock, 23 the rotary pluewithin the case, 24 the tumblers and E35 key which engages the tumblers in the cnstomary manner and by which the plug may be turned after the insertion ot' the key lifting the tumblers.

through the keyway.

he plug 23 is provided upon its inner end With a cam 26. he outer end of this cam enters a slot 27 formed in the side oi? the latch 16. The relative arrangement of the lock and latch is such that the plug :33 ot the lock will assume a locked position, where it is held against rotation by the tun'ihlers and also a position in which the key may e inserted and withdrawn from the he Way when the latch is occupying its projected or engaging position with relation to the bolt. the cam on the barrel of the lock then acting to maintain the latch in its position of engagement with the bolt. The further relation between the cam and latch is such that the latch may be moved by the cam i nto an engaging or disengaging position with relation to the bolt by the turning of the plug by the key after the key has oeen inserted lifting the tumblers. In this connection it will he observed that the key can be inserted into its keyway in the plug only when the latch is oc upying an cngag lug posi n and the key can then turn the plug and cam carried by it di nce only suilicicnt to move the latch into its disengag ing position or from such position. into an en- 9 of the hub in the en-- gaging position. In other words, the plug of the lock is permitted only a limited movement and the key may be withdrawn from the lock only when the latch is occupying an engaging weition the cam on the end of the plug then operating to maintain the latch in its engaging positioin inasmuch as the tumblers will then operate to hold the plug against rotation when. the key with drawn. 7

The generai operation as followsz- It will be assumed that the bolt 8 is occupying an engaging position locking the wheel to the steering post by engagement with the bushing fixed to the post as shown in Fig. The belt will be maintained in such position by the latch 16 which enters the groore 19 in the bolt, the latch itself being maintained in its enga; ng position by the am 26 on the plug, which is held against turning by the tun'iblers.

For disconnecting the wheel from the steering post the key is inserted into the plug of the lock lifting the tumblers. The plug is then turn l by the key until the cam 26 on the plug has moved the latch into a disengaging position (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3). At such time the key cannot be withdrawn from the lock. After the latch has been retracted and while occupying its position of retractioin the operator manually withdraws the bolt 8 into a disengaging position with the liiushing and holds it in siufh 'iosition u i the latch is again moved forward into an i. ing position where it enters the gror 18 in the bolt, this being tirrtod b .urning the plug with the key. The key then withdrawn 'roni theloclcand the bolt maintained by the latch in its disengaging position.

To again locc the w. to the steering post, the wheel is first moved to a pohtion whereby the bolt-sockets l0 and 11 formed in the hub and bushing. respectively, are in alinenient with one another, that is, if the wheel has been turned to a position where the sockets are out of alineincnt such alined positions being indicated by any suitable indicating mark (not shown} upon the top exterior surface of the hub and bushing. 'lhereupon the operator after. the insertion of the hey will turn the plug of the lock and cam 26 sull'iciently to more the latch into a disengaging position releasing the bolt. Thereupon the holt will be automatically thrown by the spring 25 into an engaging position. The latch then moved forward l the key into an en aging posiby turning g tion tor holding the t ax. key withdrawn. This last iuiciation.v it will be noted, cl'l'cctiu'l 'mply by manipulation (it the key in the lock 4* the wheel and bushing ha H1 lie-en ln'm n1. into proper alincnuait as w inil r:

tion, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States The combination with a steering post and wheel rotatably mounted thereon of means carried by the wheel for releasably fixing it to the post, said means comprising a socketed bolt slidable to assume either a projected or a retracted position and provided with an extension outside the socket within which it is contained by which it may be manually controlled, a eleasable soeketed latch movable to assume either a projected or retracted position with relation to the bolt and when in projected position hai'ing interlocking engagement with the bolt for holding it in either its projected or retracted position, and a key-controlled lock arranged adjacent said latch, said lock having a turning plug mt able by the key to the lock and provided with a member in operative engagement with said latch for moving the same into and out of interlocking engagement with said bolt as the plug is turned by the key of the lock. saidlok being otherwise ]:)1O\'ltlt/(l with means for holding the plug from turning when the member carried by it has moved the latch into locking engagement with said bolt, whereby the latch may be held by said member in such interlocking engagement and whereby, also the key may be inserted into and Withdrawn from the look only when the latch is 00- cupying its interlocking engagement with the bolt.

\VILLIAM XV. WINCHESTER. 

